FIFPRO Men's World 11 for 2026 revealed — Lionel Messi makes a record 18th team as Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane misses out
FIFPRO revealed its 2026 Men's World 11 on Monday, chosen by 19,806 professional footballers in 73 countries for performances between August 2025 and July 2026. Lionel Messi, 39, was selected for a record-extending 18th time, his first since 2023. Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane was left out — the first reigning winner to miss the team since the award began in 2005 — and Cristiano Ronaldo also missed out. The team in full: David Raya; Pau Cubarsí, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes; Jude Bellingham, Rodri and Vitinha; Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
Verified
The 2026 FIFPRO Men's World 11 is: David Raya (Arsenal, Spain); Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco) and Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal); Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Rodri (Manchester City, Spain) and Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal); Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain). The team was chosen by 19,806 professional footballers in 73 countries, for performances from 4 August 2025 to 19 July 2026.
Key points
- The 2026 Men's World 11 was chosen by 19,806 professional players in 73 countries — the only global football award voted for exclusively by players.
- Messi makes the team for a record-extending 18th time, his first since 2023, at 39.
- Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane misses out — a first for a reigning winner since the award began in 2005; Ronaldo misses out too.
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- Spain provides four players; Morocco's Achraf Hakimi is the team's African player.
What happened
The FIFPRO World 11 is the players' own team of the year: professional footballers vote through their unions on a digital platform, naming the goalkeeper and outfield players they rate highest, and the top-polling players form the team. This year's men's vote covered performances from 4 August 2025 to the World Cup final on 19 July 2026, and only players with at least 30 official appearances were eligible.
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Match facts — all verified
- ✓ VerifiedThe 2026 FIFPRO Men's World 11 is: David Raya (Arsenal, Spain); Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco) and Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal); Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Rodri (Manchester City, Spain) and Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal); Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain). The team was chosen by 19,806 professional footballers in 73 countries, for performances from 4 August 2025 to 19 July 2026.Reuters — Messi returns to FIFPRO World 11, Ballon d'Or winner Kane misses out (9 Nov 2026) · Associated Press via TheScore — Messi voted to World XI again as Spain dominates men's and women's lineups (9 Nov 2026) · FIFPRO — 2026 FIFPRO World 11 finalists revealed (fifpro.org, 2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedMessi's selection is his 18th — a record he extends himself. At 39, he returns to the team for the first time since 2023, having been selected every year from 2007 to 2023, and he is the only player in the team based outside Europe.Reuters — Messi returns to FIFPRO World 11, Ballon d'Or winner Kane misses out (9 Nov 2026) · Associated Press via TheScore — Messi voted to World XI again as Spain dominates men's and women's lineups (9 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedHarry Kane, who won this year's Ballon d'Or, was left out — the first reigning Ballon d'Or winner to miss the World 11 since the award began in 2005. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was also on the 26-man finalists list, missed out as well.Associated Press via TheScore — Messi voted to World XI again as Spain dominates men's and women's lineups (9 Nov 2026) · Reuters — Messi returns to FIFPRO World 11, Ballon d'Or winner Kane misses out (9 Nov 2026) · FIFPRO — 2026 FIFPRO World 11 finalists revealed (fifpro.org, 2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedLamine Yamal, 19, becomes the first player under 20 to earn two World 11 selections. Spain provides four of the eleven — Raya, Cubarsí, Rodri and Yamal — and Morocco's Hakimi is the team's African player.Reuters — Messi returns to FIFPRO World 11, Ballon d'Or winner Kane misses out (9 Nov 2026) · Associated Press via TheScore — Messi voted to World XI again as Spain dominates men's and women's lineups (9 Nov 2026)
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The full team, the voting numbers and both records, from FIFPRO's announcement as reported identically by Reuters and the Associated Press.
- That Messi is the only player in the team based outside Europe, and Hakimi the team's African player.
What we don't know yet
- The vote count for each player — FIFPRO publishes the team, not the individual tallies.